


Sunday Blue's

by The_TrashLifeisReal (NixxBeats0_0)



Series: Kids Just Trying To Run Away [1]
Category: NCT (Band), SM Rookies
Genre: Angst, Barely Legal, Boys In Love, Gay Panic, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Pain, Physical Abuse, The Author Regrets Everything, Underage Drinking, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-10 04:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6939454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NixxBeats0_0/pseuds/The_TrashLifeisReal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doyoung had a set routine for every Sunday morning and evening for the past five years of his life.<br/>“Come on Doyoung,” his friend, Jaehyun, begged. “Just this one Sunday skip with me, please!”<br/>This was not a part of his normal routine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunday Blue's

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [NCTprompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCTprompts) collection. 



> **Prompt: Church boy Doyoung doesn't understand why free-spirited, smiley Ten follows him everywhere like a puppy. A flirting, teasing puppy though.  
> **
> 
> I took SUCH liberties with this prompt i'm pretty sure it isn't even the prompt any more. I apologise to the poor Anon that was probably NOT expecting 7k of horror. OTL.  
> I REALLY TRIED TO MAKE IT FLUFF. I TRIED SO HARD. 
> 
> Comments and critiques are always welcome, also un'beta Lazy!Author.
> 
> Now, crossposted on AFF (http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1131567)

(DOYOUNG)

Doyoung had a set routine for every Sunday morning and evening for the past five years of his life.

“Come on Doyoung,” his friend, Jaehyun, begged. “Just this one Sunday skip with me, please!”

This was not a part of his normal routine.

Jaehyun tugged on the sleeve of his perfectly pressed white, button-up shirt even pulling out the big pleading eyes the younger of the two knew the other could not resist for long. Doyoung’s resolve, as expected, began to crumble. Right then, the two boys were standing in from of their small town’s church gates still dressed in their Sunday best and their parents’ having left them minutes before; expecting the two to go from the church service, that had ended at 10:30 sharp, to go volunteer five minutes away at a local shelter until the lunch rush dies down then at 15:00 make their way back behind the church’s pearly gates for their choir practice for the following Sunday’s morning service which Doyoung’s parents would then pick both Jaehyun and Doyoung up from at 17:30. This was their normal routine since Doyoung and Jaehyun had become best friends in middle school and then decided to join the local church choir to spend more time with each other since both of their parents were pretty strict when it came to friends at the house on weekdays.

But now here Jaehyun was pleading with Doyoung to go with him to hang out with Lee Taeyong and his band of misfits. Doyoung had known of his friend’s burgeoning crush on Lee Taeyong, the closest their small town had to a black sheep, since three weeks back when Jaehyun had skipped choir practice and, as Jaehyun phrased it, _let his Taeyong have his way with him_. But now Taeyong apparently wanted to introduce Jaehyun to his friends and Jaehyun could not go there by himself.

“Why do I have to come?” Doyoung asked, again, a whine escaping him. “You said Taeyong wasn’t a bad guy and you said you trust him completely, why are you so afraid of his friends?”

Jaehyun bugged his eyes out even more, making Doyoung grimace, “Because meeting your boyfriend’s friends for the first time is always intimidating that’s why as my best friend you have to be there to intimidate them back.”

Doyoung rolled his eyes, “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say, when have I ever been intimidating?”

Jaehyun grinned, “Yay, so you’re coming, great!”

“Wait, what? Jaehyun, no I didn’t say–”

“Wow, aren’t you glad I thought of this ahead of time and stole clothes from your house for you to change into–”

Doyoung tried to protest again, “Jaehyun I seriously do not agree with this.”

“– This is going to be so much fun. Taeyong says we’re going to hang out at the old train tracks too. Oh, which reminds me I can totally show you where we had our first kiss. It was so cute; I swear I have near seen Taeyongie so nervous–” And as Jaehyun continued rambling excitedly Doyoung sighed, absolutely defeated, and got manhandled into a hoodie, jeans and sneakers.

Taeyong and his friends would meet them at the park a few streets away, in a shady part of downtown that Doyoung’s parents had always warned them against but with Jaehyun beaming brighter than the sun the closer they got to the deserted little park and four other people standing in a loose circle the dread threatening to pull him under would just have to wait.

Doyoung stood awkwardly next to Jaehyun as he cuddled into a blond and cold looking Lee Taeyong as a way of greeting and if Doyoung had blinked he would have missed the softening of Taeyong’s eyes as he murmured a quiet hello before turning dark eyes towards Doyoung. Doyoung, though still on guard, could not deny the outright happiness of his best friend as he stood there next to a guy that practically everyone either feared or hated with nothing but love in his eyes and even Taeyong seemed to look less rigid when standing beside Jaehyun.

“You must be Doyoung,” Taeyong addressed him, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Jaehyun talks about you a lot,”

Doyoung gave Jaehyun a hard look, “Generally when that happens it’s never good.”

Taeyong smirked and Jaehyun shook his head rapidly. Doyoung sighed, _great_.

“Well might as well introduce you to the other village idiots,” Taeyong said with a small smile. “There is Mark, Taeil and the last idiot is Ten; they promised to play nice today.”

Doyoung stared at the last guy grinning at him widely and made a mental note to stay clear of him for as long as he lived. “Noted, so where we going?” he asked curiously, if a bit hesitantly.

“Doyoung is scared you guys are going to land us in jail or something like that,” Jaehyun chirped which sent the others, except Doyoung, into a fit of loud laughter.

Doyoung was going to have to find a new best friend after this was all over he thought and glared openly at the curly haired boy.

Taeil spoke up with an easy smile directed his way, which Doyoung hoped was a good sign, “We’re not doing anything that special today since the old train tracks are pouring with the homeless looking for somewhere dry to sleep after last night's rain. So we’re just going to chill at my place, you know only if that’s fine with you?”

He had no choice but to nod as if his intestines weren’t trying to knot themselves. When they started walking Jaehyun drifted back to his side as he trailed at the back of the pack and latched onto his best friend’s arm. “Hey,” he spoke softly, “If you feel uncomfortable you know you can just tell me right? Taeyong understands and he’ll even drive us back in time for church practice if you feel you can’t do this. Just at least give them a chance, okay?”

Doyoung hadn’t really been paying much attention to the words coming out of Jaehyun’s mouth so he just nodded mutely until the bright smile was back on his best friend’s face and the latter skipped back to his boyfriend’s side.

This was going to be a very, long day.

 

(TEN)

Ten soon realised that Jaehyun’s friend didn’t really talk much. Or at least didn’t really talk much with them. They’d been at Taeil’s place for around an hour and the guy had barely said a sentence to them after Taeyong and Jaehyun had disappeared upstairs because the two barely got to see each other during the week. And if Taeyong was sporting a fresh love bite on his neck and Jaehyun’s curls looked a little wilder than usual, none of them said anything outright because Jaehyun still got embarrassed easily about that sort of thing.

Ten could also admit the reason he was so fascinated with the tall, orange-haired male was because he was attractive, attractive and definitely Ten’s type if only a little too quiet.

“So,” Ten started, startling Doyoung from his inspection of Taeil’s living room couch. “How long have you and Jaehyun known each other?”

It seemed to take a second for Doyoung to comprehend Ten was talking to him and then another minute for Doyoung to register the question, “Um, I’ve known him my w-whole life because our parents are close but we only became friends at the beginning of middle school.” A pause, “A-and you, how long have you been friends w-with Taeyong?”

 _He’s cuter when he’s nervous._ “Start of High School, I’m from Thailand originally.” Ten smiled brightly.

“I know,” seemed to slip out before Doyoung had the chance to register the words. “I mean I was in your class freshman year and I showed you around for like a day before you found your group of friends.”

Ten’s smile widened, “Cool, so why we so uncomfortable around each other? We should be like the best of friends by now.”

That’s when the other people in the room made themselves known, reminding the two on the couch that they were definitely not alone and that Ten’s shameless attempts at flirting were not going unnoticed.

Mark snorted, “Who would willingly want to become friends with you?”

Ten tackled Mark to the floor, “But you’re my best friend Markie, why do you hurt me like this?”

Taeil chuckled, sipping on his soda as he watched the two rolling around on his carpet, “Yeah right your best friends change every day.”

Ten stuck his tongue out, “That’s why you’re no longer my best friend anymore, so judgemental. Let me be free Taeil.”

Another snort from the couch had Ten’s head whipping to Doyoung’s direction with a hand to his chest and crawling towards the couch on his knees - feigning a hurt expression. “You too Doyoungie, don’t do it don’t side with them on this. You can be my new best friend.”

Doyoung laughed lightly, “Sorry I already have a best friend. Position filled.”

Ten’s eyes darkened and he smirked up at Doyoung, “Your loss, I can be a really good friend,” one stray hand on Doyoung’s thigh.  

Mark and Taeil dragged him away and bopped him lightly on the head with disapproving glances reminding him of Taeyong’s warning to _play nice._ But he still considered it worth it when, for the rest of the day, Doyoung wouldn’t look him in the eye.  

 

(DOYOUNG)

He had something to confess. Something he had never even told Jaehyun. Laying on his bed on Sunday night after successfully lying to his parents that choir practice and the service work at the shelter had been tough work as usual, sitting through the idle chat at the dinner table and then saying his prayers before bed, he could now admit he has always had a crush on Ten since the first day they’d met.

Heck, that first day in freshman year when Ten had stood in front of the class and introduced himself in stuttered Korean and then smiled a smile so warm, Doyoung felt his heart give. And then as expected the anxiety and dread had started. He knew his parents and he remembered what had happened the last time he had had a crush on a boy and told his parents about it back in middle school.

He had waited until the Friday afternoon to invite his friend over and then the two bright eyed and naïve twelve year old boys had told Doyoung’s parents that they were now boyfriends and were going to grow old and adopt two puppies and a cat together to live in their house in the future. They had a small speech prepared thinking of course all they had to do was convince Doyoung’s parents, because they were the type of parents worried about the future. So, Doyoung encouraged the young boy in front of him a funny twist in his stomach telling him he really liked the other boy, it would all work out because they were serious about their relationship – even if they were only twelve years old.

Doyoung’s father had been the first to respond, after their presentation and as the boys stood nervous and feeling proud because they hadn’t even stuttered that much, with a hard slap to each of the boys’ faces. Doyoung had stood there, too shocked to cry, and watched as Doyoung’s father called his young boyfriend’s parents and then struck the boy, again, this time in front of his parents and chased them out. When his mom seemed to gather her wits she ordered Doyoung to fetch his father’s belt from their bedroom and after dinner lashed Doyoung across his shoulders and back because how dare Doyoung utter such filthy words, they had definitely not raised him to do such, raised him to think such and how _dare_ he think bringing that attitude to their house was acceptable.

He had cried himself to sleep that night. And then the following Saturday night as even his cool sheets rubbed the sensitive skin of his back raw. When Sunday night came his parents announced that they had called the school ahead of time to say he was injured and would not be able to attend until Wednesday.

For a week and a half he talked to no one, not his friends and not even Jaehyun, and because it was middle school his friends grew tired of their friend that wouldn’t talk to them anymore and soon enough Doyoung had no friends and no boyfriend. His young boyfriend had been so traumatised that the poor boy’s parents had moved out of their small town for a change of scenery.

Jaehyun, back then had merely been an acquaintance, slowly became his best and only friend by the time they got to high school.

The day Jaehyun had confessed to him that he was gay and practically in love with local bad boy Taeyong, who slept through most of his classes and skipped lessons to hang around dilapidated buildings and the bad parts of town, Doyoung had smiled weakly at his best friend and then spent that night throwing up into his toilet with anxiety and fear gripping his insides so tight he couldn’t move from the bathroom floor.

But the anxiety had been for nothing when Jaehyun explained that his parents already knew he was gay and they just didn’t want him with the wrong crowd. Anger so blinding and upsetting had filled Doyoung for days afterwards and Jaehyun, always so perceptive and always so understanding had given him space and then came right back to fill the space as his bubbly best friend.

He at least knew what he had to do now as he closed his eyes with a sad sigh dreading school the next day.

 

(TEN)

His attempts to speak to Doyoung at school had failed, abysmally.

You would think it would be easier with Doyoung in the same class as him and everything but Doyoung apparently did everything at school too. If Doyoung wasn’t in class rep meetings with the teachers, he was in student council meetings every second lunchbreak or in the Library studying so that even if Ten were to casually meet him there the Librarian had her beady eyes trained on Ten to make sure he didn’t utter a single word. And then there was just the obvious avoidance even when he had accidently bumped into Doyoung while rounding the corner to go to his next boring class Doyoung had picked his dropped books and might as well have sprinted away from Ten with the speed he moved afterwards.

“Doyoung is so busy lately,” Jaehyun pouted as he unceremoniously dumped his school bag on the floor and slumped against his boyfriend. “I’ve hardly seen him since Sunday, and it’s already Thursday!”

“Tell me about it,” Ten murmured, but apparently not quietly enough as Taeyong shot him a narrowed look, questioning and threatening all at the same time.

But Jaehyun continued, oblivious, “I think he’s avoiding me. Did anything happen on Sunday, like you guys were okay with him right?”

This time Taeyong was definitely glaring at him.

Mark started, nervousness only slightly bleeding through his words, “He seemed a bit uncomfortable but not something to avoid you over, maybe he is just you know, busy.”

Taeil nodded, “He was fine when you guys left, and we all behaved.”

Jaehyun sighed sadly, slumping in his chair, “Are you guys sure? Like I know you must have felt a bit uncomfortable as well but you didn’t have to change yourselves and _behave._ I mean you guys aren’t that bad.”

Taeyong slung and arm around his boyfriend’s waist and glared openly at the whole table, “What did you guys do, exactly?”

Mark coughed. “Nothing,”

“HEY LOOK,” Ten stood gesticulating wildly at Doyoung who had just gotten into the lunch line. “DOYOUNG COME SIT WITH US, JAEHYUN IS HERE ALREADY–”  

Taeyong yanked him back down with a growl and Jaehyun was already out his seat running to Doyoung’s side. Mark and Taeil, wisely, decided to look down at their individual trays while Taeyong practically vibrated with irritation.

“I swear Ten,” he sighed, jaws clenched, “If you do not chill I will throttle you. This is Jaehyun’s best friend lay the fuck off him, he is off limits.”

He felt a flash of guilt run through him at the underlying current of Taeyong’s words. Taeyong _really liked_  Jaehyun and Jaehyun was as protective of his best friend as Taeyong was with his and if anything happened, Jaehyun would do anything to protect Doyoung first and foremost. But when Doyoung was effectively dragged over to their lunch table, by a smiling Jaehyun, Ten had already half-forgotten Taeyong’s warning because Doyoung was squeezed between him and Jaehyun and fidgeting nervously under the table, not making eye contact with anyone at the table.

“Glad you could make it Doyoung, Jaehyun was about to send a search party out to look for you,” Taeyong joked into the almost awkward silence that had ensued.  

Jaehyun choked on his glass of water, “No I wasn’t!” he protest loudly with the blush in his cheeks undermining his words.

Doyoung let out a laugh, relaxing a notch, “I kind of figured he’d over-react that’s why I came to find him.”

“I told them you were most likely busy,” Mark interjected.

Taeil nodded, “Yeah, but your friend apparently doesn’t listen to rational thought.”

“Ten didn’t make the conspiracy theories any better,” Mark laughed.

The table laughed at Jaehyun’s squawks of indignation and Ten didn’t miss the blush in Doyoung’s cheeks as he tried to glance Ten’s way only for the dark haired male to already be smiling his way.

 

(DOYOUNG)

When Sunday rolled around he did not expect to be roped into another Sunday afternoon skipping service work and choir practice to hang out with Taeyong and his friends. But he can’t say he is surprised. He knew he would have to make up for avoiding Jaehyun most of the week somehow, but he really thought he would have thought of some excuse by the time Sunday came that would be suitable enough to Jaehyun. But he is a terrible liar and generally panics under pressure, that pressure being Jaehyun’s Guilt Trip TM.

“Besides,” Jaehyun continued his monologue. “The guys can tell you aren’t comfortable around them so they said they are willing to try harder to accommodate you. So please Doyoung, please can you also try hard, for me and my love life that has been non-existent in all my 16 years of life and only now is seeing the light of day _please_.”

Doyoung stopped them, slowly turning Jaehyun around to face him. “You,” he breathed, “You really like Taeyong don’t you?” his stomach twisted incredibly with the guilt now pressing into him as he realised just how selfish he was being up until now to now realise his best friend was head over heels.

“Y-yes and you mean too much to me for me to not want this to go well.”

Doyoung let out a large exhale and nodded quickly. “Fine, lead the way, but one of these days we are going to get caught not going to after church service and the choir are already asking me if you still want to be a part of the choir because you haven’t even been showing up to Friday’s practices. You are barely holding together with your mouthing of words as is.”

At this Jaehyun looked sheepish. “Yeah, I’ll try to attend Friday practices at least but Sunday’s are going to have to be a bi-weekly thing because Taeyong and I like to catch-up on Sundays.”

Doyoung snorted, “Catching up is that what you call it now?”

Jaehyun slapped his arm.

\-----

When they got to Taeyong’s small, one story house in the slightly more run down part of town he had really not expected them to walk in through the front door with the four guys lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling in wander. Jaehyun was the first to scrunch his nose at the strange smell wafting delicately around the room.

“Babe,” Jaehyun called out. “What is that smell?” he questioned as the two of them made their way to the small living room.

Taeyong bolted upright from his slumped position leaning against the couch arm with legs sprawled out in front of him. “Jaehyun!” he shouted unnecessarily, his big eyes even wider than usual and tinged pink.

Jaehyun stared at his boyfriend and everyone else sprawled on the floor seemed to drag themselves upright. Everything clicked for Doyoung so suddenly he let out a surprised, “Oh.” When his eyes met a lazily smiling Ten who even winked at him. Dear Jesus this is what he is skipping his Sunday afternoon routine for? Doyoung’s mind seemed to shriek he was going to hell. The shrieking – unsurprisingly – sounded like his mother.

Doyoung watched Taeyong scramble upright and make his way to the still clueless, but thoroughly confused, Jaehyun. Taeyong’s still nervous eyes acknowledged Doyoung with a nod before he dragged Jaehyun to somewhere and left Doyoung there with the other three.

“Doyoungie,” Ten smiled widely and beckoned him over. “Come let’s play, we just got the new COD game. We were going to play but got… distracted.”

Taeil groaned, “Stop flirting already!”

His eyes widened and looked at Taeil, who he had realised upon first meeting them was a man of few words.

But that man of few words was very talkative when blazed out of his mind. “Doyoung, come we’ll teach you how to play. It really isn’t that hard. Don’t worry we’ll go easy on you, the first time.”

Mark, still sprawled on the floor, seemed to find this hilarious as peals of laughter erupted from him.

When Doyoung sat down next to Taeil, Ten immediately squeezed him-self in between the two and grinned at Doyoung. “I’m a better teacher, I’ll teach you.”

“O-okay,” his curiosity seemed to win over his better judgement and he blurted. “Can you even play when you’ve taken drugs?”

Mark seemed to be dying as his laughing turned into wheezing.

Taeil answered with a chuckle, “Weed doesn’t really mess with a person that bad. It really depends on the person.”

“So,” he cleared his throat. “You guys do this often, a-and Jaehyun?”

Ten shook his head cutely and Doyoung’s stomach does a fun twist, “Taeyong makes sure Jaehyun never catches us like this and definitely wouldn’t let him participate, just this time we underestimated how long the high would last.”

“So, Jaehyun doesn’t know?”

Mark’s laugh cut off abruptly, “Taeyong says if Jaehyun ever found out he would be in deep shit.”

As if scripted, a door slams and Jaehyun’s shout echoes through the house and then Jaehyun looking absolutely livid stands at the doorway, “Doyoung, we are leaving!”

Doyoung jumped, “What do you mean?”

Jaehyun heads to the couch to grab the backpack he threw there earlier, “Because Taeyong and the guys obviously aren’t fit to welcome guests.”

Taeyong sighed, leaning against the doorframe, “Jaehyun I said I was sorry.”

Jaehyun looking legitimately angry actually glared at his boyfriend, “And you promised to make my best friend more comfortable, this is most definitely not okay.”

“The two stared at each other for so long that the four on the floor shifted uncomfortably. Doyoung sighed softly and then spoke, “Jaehyun I’m fine.”

“W-what?” Jaehyun looked at him as if he were the one being irrational.

“I said I’m fine,” Doyoung reiterated and then held up the remote controller in his hand. “Ten and Taeil were actually going to teach me how to play Call of Duty, all good over here.”

Jaehyun stared hard at him as if trying to see a lie in his words. Actually, all he wanted was for Jaehyun to make up with Taeyong and stop fighting over something that was obviously his fault but Jaehyun surprised them all by saying, “Fine, I’ll play with you guys. I’ll play in Mark’s place, is that okay Mark?”

Mark, being glared at by both Taeyong and Jaehyun, didn’t know what to say, “Uh…”

“Great!” Jaehyun said almost angrily and sat on Doyoung’s other side. “Let’s play,”

And although the first 40 minutes were very tense with Taeyong sitting on the couch glaring at the television and Jaehyun’s rampage as he killed and shot at everything on screen, sometimes even his teammate, who was unfortunately Taeil, Doyoung found himself having fun and relaxing. Ten, his teammate, was a really good coach and a great distraction as Doyoung found in the first ten minutes when all he could feel was Ten’s thigh against his and Ten’s murmured instructions in the shell of his ear and Doyoung will forever burn at the thought of the squeak he let out when Ten reach over to hold Doyoung’s control and their hands brushed. But with Jaehyun’s anger obviously waning and Taeil’s groans of frustration at have a really bad partner Mark switched places with Jaehyun and Jaehyun sat on the couch stiffly beside Taeyong.

“You think they’ll make up?” Ten whispered, startling him.

Doyoung shrugged, “Most likely, Jaehyun can’t stay mad for very long.”

Mark, in between Ten and Taeil, whispered back conspiratorially, “Yeah and the fact that the fight was actually about Taeyong breaking their Sunday rule.”

Taeil nodded, “Taeyong knows Jaehyun takes them being together really seriously and getting high on a Sunday is a big no-no.”

Doyoung nodded slowly, “Oh…”

Ten scoffed and mercilessly killed both Taeil and Mark’s characters. “They’re making out on the couch guys. Now, let’s go celebrate with a sandwich partner!” Ten grinned dragging a horrified Doyoung to the kitchen after witnessing his best friend with his tongue halfway down Taeyong’s throat as the former straddled the blond.

In the kitchen Doyoung shuddered, “I will never be able to look Taeyong in the eyes again.”

Ten laughed, “You haven’t witnessed anything yet just wait till Taeyong gets alcohol in him next week. That guy cannot keep his hands to himself.”

“Next week?” his eyebrows lifted, “What’s happening next week?”

“My birthday party, you are coming right?” Ten asked stepping closer. “Jaehyun said you were coming,”

Doyoung didn’t exactly know what to feel right now as Ten surreptitiously crowded him into the cabinets. Jaehyun always did this to him; spoke on his behalf to other people without even confirming with him until the last minute. And now Doyoung’s feelings raged from that dread and anxiety whenever he was around Ten to anger at Jaehyun to a strong tug in his lower belly whispering sinful thoughts to the back of his head about Ten’s proximity.

“Why?” he blurted yet again his nervousness activating his verbal diarrhoea. “Why would you want me at your party?”

He felt a hand settle on his hips and the intensity in Ten’s eyes set fire to his insides. His breathes left him in shallow pants and Ten’s eyes flickered to his lips. Ten moved impossibly closer, they’re chests almost pressed together and Ten’s other hand stroking his cheek. Doyoung tried to get the words out his throat to get Ten to move away before this became something he couldn’t walk away from. Something he would be willing to suffer his parents’ wrath over but the words wouldn’t reach his lips.

“Because I like you Doyoungie,”

And then Ten’s lips found his and he could have sworn something exploded in his chest. His hands fisted the fabric of Ten’s t-shirt pulling the Thai boy towards him and closing the small bit of space they had between them. Ten knew what he was doing, that much was clear and Doyoung almost felt envious of the fact that Jaehyun knew how to do this so much better than he could but then Ten’s teeth were nibbling at his bottom lip, asking for access. With only the slightest hesitation Doyoung parted his lips and all thought flew from his mind and what he could only call instinct took over at the first feel of Ten’s tongue in his mouth. The kiss deepened into something Doyoung had no words for and the tingly that started from his fingertips and toes spread to the middle of his chest urging him to press up more against Ten. The need to feel every inch of himself against Ten was overwhelming and he could feel the beginning of arousal rise from both of them, especially with their crotches pressed together and the moan that fell from Doyoung’s mouth into the very kiss between them.

“Oh My God,”

Doyoung ripped himself away from Ten’s mouth and then with wide eyes met Jaehyun’s completely shocked eyes in the kitchen doorway.

Doyoung didn’t think, didn’t say anything, just pushed Ten away roughly and ran away from everything. From Jaehyun’s hurt and shocked expression, Ten’s equally hurt eyes, ran away from what he had just down with Ten – another boy – in the kitchen of someone else’s house and most of all ran away from the fact that he had tears falling down his face from the moment Ten’s lips touched his.

He probably should go back and get his bag, he thought half-heartedly looking at the time and realising he had an hour to get back to church so his parents could pick him up but his parents would expect him to still be in his uncomfortable white starched shirt, pressed black slacks and shiny dress shoes. As he thought this he realised he almost didn’t care, the dread and anxiety he normally felt when faced with the prospect of his parents finding out he had disobeyed couldn’t out-weigh the numb pit in his stomach and so he kept on walking not even realising half way there that his tears were mixed with raindrops. It started out as a light drizzle but then by the time the church was in view he was shivering, the clouds overhead were rumbling and each drop of rain felt like needles against his face.

“Doyoung, Kim Doyoung!” he first heard his mother’s voice before he saw her standing angry with a black umbrella keeping the rain away from her perfectly coiffed hair and designer clothing. “Why, were you not at choir practice and why are you dressed like a delinquent when you should be in that church with your Sunday clothes on?” she demanded.

“I’ve been skipping practice,” he said in a voice that sounded hollow even to his own ears.

His mother’s eyes narrowed, “This is that boy Jaehyun’s fault isn’t it?” his mother rolled her eyes. “I should have known, those parents are all about free-spirit and partnership parenting nowadays. Look where that has gotten them; their son is gallivanting after church with delinquents. I forbid you to go around with those people anymore Doyoung, now come we have a family dinner to attend, we will discuss your blatant disregard for your responsibilities after the dinner.”

“No,” he whispered to the rain pouring around them and the wind howling around them.

The car beeped from behind his mother; his father angrily leaning against the car horn. Doyoung’s heart lurched with fear but he shakily looked his mother in the eyes as he said. “I’m tired of doing what you want me to do and then completely ignoring me at home other than when you want to yell at me for doing something wrong.”

His mother seemed to shake with anger and the anxiety that consistently stayed at the pit of his stomach yawned open wider and wider until his small bout of courage sputtered out like a weak flame in a strong wind. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_ the voice at the back of his head chanted.

“When I get into that car you better be buckled in and well behaved before I close my umbrella.” His mother hissed.

Before he knew it his body scrambled, on autopilot, to obey. Though his fingers shook violently, the sound of his heart beat hard enough to be heard in his ears and the blinding terror of his parents’ anger made him feel like he was choking on every breath he dared to breathe in he had made it in the car before his mother and for that he could at least be thankful for. But his wishful thinking could not block out his mother’s cold, quiet voice as she said.

“When we get home you better get out those clothes and then fetch your father’s belt and maybe then we’ll get the truth out of you.”

A tear escaped him and he held his breath to keep down the desperate sob trying to claw its way up his throat. Why him? Why did the world do this to him? Couldn’t they just leave him alone? They were supposed to be his parents, why couldn’t they be like other parents? Why did they need to hurt him?

\-----

On Monday, as punishment, his parents told him to go to school knowing that with each drag of the school shirt and blazer the haphazardly gauzed wounds on his back would split open one more and that with every move of his backpack had him wanting to curl up in the foetal position and cry until the pain went away. His parents knew about the past two Sundays, they had beat the truth out of him and because he was a bad liar he told them how Jaehyun and Taeyong were dating and how yes it was the same Lee Taeyong and his _band of misfits_ he and Jaehyun had been hanging out with. Jaehyun had called him that night to scream at him and ask why he couldn’t keep his mouth shut about that _one_ thing, the call had then ended abruptly after that but not after Doyoung heard Jaehyun cry that he didn’t want to be friends with someone that cried to his parents about every single thing.

 

(TEN)

The moment he saw Doyoung’s pale and drawn face on Monday he knew something was wrong. The morning had passed with little to no interaction by anyone in the class but after the first three lessons Ten could tell Jaehyun wasn’t talking to Doyoung and Doyoung had moved from his seat to seek Jaehyun out either. He also knew that things had blown up Sunday night between Taeyong and Jaehyun’s parents because of Doyoung. Nevertheless, Jaehyun had still greeted them all that morning and if the hug between Jaehyun and Taeyong was a little long nobody commented.

“Teach,” a voice called from the back, in the middle of the fourth lecture, that had every head in the class turn to see Doyoung’s desk mate grimace. “I think Doyoung is sick.”

The teacher blinked, registering the words and then turned to Doyoung to see his head on the desk. “Kim Doyoung, is this true?”

Doyoung looking pale and shaky shook his head resolutely, “No ma’am.”

The teacher looked at Doyoung disbelieving, like the rest of the class. “Nonetheless, I think you should go lie down at least Seokmin and someone else help to the nurse’s office.”

Seokmin, Doyoung’s desk mate, helped the other male up and before anyone could volunteer Ten was already holding Doyoung’s bag and trying to get his arm around Doyoung’s waist. But Doyoung flinched away violently from the helping hands.

“I can walk perfectly fine,” he said softly appearing to sway on his feet.

Ten shot Seokmin a look and the two hovered by Doyoung’s side all the way to the nurse’s office even as miraculously Doyoung made it there without fainting. But when Ten told Seokmin he could go back to class and left Doyoung with Ten in the empty nurse’s office Doyoung began vomiting into a nearby trash bin.

He looked on in horror as Doyoung dry heaved into the trash bin for five minutes and the nurse still hadn’t come yet. But he at least knew enough to see Doyoung had a fever and he the orange haired by needed to cool down and get rehydrated. He ran to get the cloth and run it under the cold water tap as soon as Doyoung stopped retching. He directed Doyoung to the bed and struggled to get Doyoung to lie on his back instead of curled on his side like he was.

“Okay then can you at least take your blazer off, you need to cool down, you have a fever.” Ten tried to persuade the other boy with reason to no avail as Doyoung continued to shake his head and mumble incoherently under his breath.

Ten sighed and consoled himself with simply dabbing at Doyoung’s neck and face with the cool cloth.

“Is it disgusting that even sick and sweaty I wanna kiss you all over to make it better?”

At that a whine came from Doyoung and he nodded his head as vigorously as his weakened condition allowed.

Ten laughed, “Okay sorry, but then that means you should get better so I can kiss you all over,” Doyoung’s eyes struggled to flutter open so Ten shushed him, “Sleep you’ll feel better when you wake up.” 

A sarcastic huff of laughter seemed to escape Doyoung and Ten frowned.

\-----

The next few days leading to Thursday Doyoung didn’t seem to get better in fact it seemed the opposite and any time the nurse or the school wanted to call Doyoung’s parents the boy rejected the idea so aggressively the teachers and nurse had no choice but to allow Doyoung to whole up in the beds doing his homework and class assignments as Ten handed them to him.

And Ten after his initial hurt over the fact Doyoung had ran away after their kiss realised that despite running Doyoung did have feelings for him and if Doyoung wanted him to wait, he would until the day they were both ready. But it did get hard to think about waiting when sometimes Doyoung looked at him expectantly as if waiting for the kiss and Ten had to wretch himself away from the situation, fast.

But despite Doyoung being able to walk and sit up on his own Doyoung’s skin was a horrible putrid shade and every now and then he would be driven into a fever that left him practically comatose.

“So I haven’t seen you around lately, where have you been?”

Ten turned to see Taeyong standing behind him with two empty trays in the lunch line, “Yeah, Doyoung doesn’t seem to be getting better.”

Taeyong nodded, “Do you mind keeping Jaehyun updated. I know he’s worried but he’s stubborn and won’t go see Doyoung on his own.”

“Sure,”

When he finally made his way back to the nurse’s ward with two trays filled with lunch Doyoung had just woken up. “Good, you can eat.” Ten smiled brightly.

Doyoung looked down at the sheets around him, “You don’t have to do this anymore you know.”

“Yeah, but I want to.” He grinned, “And until I get my kiss I’m not leaving your side.”

Doyoung’s face heated up.

Ten laughed loudly. “I’ll get my kiss at my party so, you better be feeling better by then because I will show no mercy to anyone not willing to party as hard as I am.”  

Doyoung refused to even acknowledge the words coming out of Ten’s mouth at that point and decided to instead stare pointedly at his tray of food.  

“Cute,”

\-----

When Friday came and Doyoung wasn’t at school Ten decided to take it as a good sign that the orange haired male was taking the day to feel better and then come to his party. But when Jaehyun kept sending furtive glances towards Doyoung’s desk all through the day and even Taeyong was on edge at lunch with how much nervous energy his boyfriend was throwing around.

“Why don’t you just call him?” Taeyong sighed heavily.

Jaehyun blinked, “W-what?”

“Doyoung,” Mark sighed as well.

“Call him and put us all out of our misery, you and Ten are getting me feeling all jumpy.” Taeil said with a sad grimace.

Jaehyun nibbled on his bottom lip.

Taeyong rubbed small circles into his boyfriend’s lower back and then pressed a kiss to his temple just as the bell rang for the end of lunch, “Call him,”

Jaehyun seemed to steel resolve from his partner and then pressed his phone to his ear. The phone rang and rang and rang and just as Jaehyun was about to give up with a defeated sigh the call connected.

“Hello?” they watched Jaehyun’s face shift from surprised to suspicious to scared. “Okay wait, c-can I put you on speaker and just repeated what you said.”

As Jaehyun put the phone on the table and pressed the speaker button the final bell rang and echoed in the empty silence around the five rooted around the table. Fear glued them to their seats and a sense of fright pressed against their chests keeping them silent.

_“Hello? Yes, this is Nurse Joo from Nanji General Hospital. Your friend, Kim Doyoung has been admitted to the hospital after being found unconscious on the floor by a passer-by, we are un able to contact his parents and the infection of his wounds have spread to his respiratory system. We need to contact the parents in order to talk about the next point of action. Hello, hello? Are you still there?”_

Tears ran in torrents down Jaehyun’s face and choked his voice, “M-my parents are his God Parents w-will that b-be enough?”

_“It’s not ideal, but yes we just need a guardian to speak on behalf of the parents and the child to find out how he got these wounds in the first place.”_

“I’ll have my parents call you back on Doyoung’s p-phone.”

_“Yes thank you, as soon as possible,”_

 

(DOYOUNG)

The first day after his lashing he had known something was wrong. Not only was he in constant pain that seemed to worsen as he breathed, a fever that decided to peak at around 10:30 when he was still at school but his back started to feel hot, itchy and sore under the gauze all at once.  Not a second passed where he was not either uncomfortable or in excruciating pain. The only person that had kept him going through it all was Ten. The free-spirited and always smiley Ten stayed by him through the first day, even when the nurse had threatened him with detention and even though he wasn’t all that lucid 75% of the time, Ten stayed with him. A constant and soothing voice in the back of his head and narrating a lot of his dreams with stories of his childhood back in Thailand.

The second day the vomiting and retching had gotten so bad that even his mother noticed, even when he holed himself in his room, not even bothering trying to keep supper down that night. But nonetheless they had ordered him to go to school and taken his copy of the house keys for good measure, Ten had been there all the same – except less frequent that day because class continued as per usual – bringing a lunch tray and then staying to wipe a damp cloth on his face, his teasing and flirting so obvious that Doyoung figured Ten was doing it to make him feel better.

On the third day, he was almost completely lucid and felt like beating his back with a stick because the itching had gotten unbearable yet as soon as the rough move of fabric and gauze against his back he flinched and felt tears immediately spring to his eyes. With Ten the only thing keeping him from clawing his back raw and from overexerting what he knew now could only be a broken rib from after his Dad’s belt had snapped and his mother started kicking him for good measure for all his disobedience and deviant behaviour.  

Friday morning had him feeling like a giant ball of cotton had been wrapped around his head. He couldn’t hear properly, the sun was glaring and too bright and this mouth was dry and felt full of cotton but he was surprised when he felt his legs buckle from beneath him and his head crack against the side of the pavement as he attempted to walk to school, again, at his parents’ request.

It was Sunday again and Doyoung was surprised by just how much had happened.

Friday night found his friends – himself included – spending the night at the hospital and Ten had cancelled his party. Jaehyun had spent the night in the cot beside his hospital bed crying himself to sleep over not being a good best friend because what type of best friend didn’t know their best friend was being abused for years. Saturday night had been a blurry of police statements asking him if he was sure he didn’t want to press charges against his parents and whether he wanted a restraining order against them and social workers moving in and out his hospital room advising him on his next step to emancipating himself. His godparents, Jaehyun’s parents had been stunned that they hadn’t suspected the abuse; they always knew Doyoung’s parents were harsh on their son but beating their child within an inch of their life made them feel as if they were inadequate god parents for never knowing.

Of course his parents had eventually arrived Saturday night to the police reading them their rights, Jaehyun’s mother slapping both them across the face and them having to have the police and hospital security to get them out the hospital but not before Doyoung’s dad threw the hospital machine’s including Doyoung’s IV Bag to the floor and trying to choke Doyoung with the wires.

Through it all Ten had been his constant. Ten had, through his anger and grief and guilt had been Doyoung’s rock, he has smiled and joked and flirted like every other day. He hadn’t treated Doyoung like some victim. He hadn’t gotten into a pit of self-loathing and he hadn’t treated Doyoung like glass. Ten had acted like Ten, silly and absolutely loveable.

“I guess you’re all better now,” Ten announced helping him out of the hospital bed.

Doyoung nodded, “I guess so.”

Ten turned to look at him and Doyoung will never get over the fact that when Ten looked at him intensely he lost his breath. “Don’t you owe me a kiss?”

Doyoung looked at his shoes as Ten chuckled. One of Ten’s hands slid under his chin, bringing his eyes back up. Ten smiled beautifully and captured Doyoung’s lips in a chaste kiss, they stayed a respectable distance apart and Ten’s hands stayed at his own side.

Doyoung pulled back with a frown and a stern order of, “Do it properly.”  

Before pressing back into the circle of his boyfriend’s arms and parting their lips wider to deepen the kiss. Doyoung still felt that well trained anxiety open up in the pit of his stomach but with Ten the underlying current of happiness and open acceptance over-rules the anxiety any day.

“Oh My God, not again,” Jaehyun’s voice squeaked from the door. “Baby, make them stop.”   

Doyoung grinned into the kiss and if possible pulled Ten close enough against his body to elicit a moan of approval.

Jaehyun gagged when they finally pulled away with matching goofy grins on their faces, “We’re leaving you gross hormonal teenagers, ugh.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, this is turning into a series. Stay tuned folks.  
> Or don't - you know i don't mind. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. (~˘▾˘)~


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